From Florence to Fitzrovia Michael Rosenfeld on the Eye of Ian Rosenfeld ahead of the Dreweatts sale, January 2026

The signs were there early on. Ian had what might be called the collector gene: first revealed in childhood through an earnest hoard of Corgi and Dinky cars, and later through a formidable vinyl collection shaped by curiosity rather than algorithms. In the days before Spotify, his listening spanned rock, jazz and classical, eventually leading him to opera, a passion he learned to savour during formative years spent in Venice, Florence and Bologna.

Collectors are often asked an uncomfortable question: do we collect for ourselves, or to signal taste to others? Ian never entertained the distinction. He was entirely uninterested in external validation. What he acquired over a lifetime were objects that genuinely moved him, chosen freely, without any desire to impress.

He lived modestly, almost like a student, in a farmhouse outside Florence. Yet he was surrounded by beauty: an Old Master drawing here, a terracotta sculpture there, or something as simple and resonant as an antique wooden box. These were the things he spent his money on. Each morning, coffee in hand at his typewriter, he was greeted by an eclectic constellation of artworks, exhibition catalogues and Italian newspapers still waiting to be read, an apparent disorder shaped by a deeply disciplined eye.

On one return trip to London, his mind seemed to overflow with everything he had absorbed. At an Old Masters sale at Christie’s, he correctly identified numerous works, several by lesser-known artists, before even glancing at the auction house's attributions. It came as no surprise when he soon embarked upon a career as an Old Master dealer, relishing the pursuit of overlooked works and the sharing of his knowledge with fellow enthusiasts.

Though never a follower of fashion, Ian’s curiosity eventually led him towards contemporary art. He was fascinated by the connective tissue of art across centuries and particularly enjoyed engaging with living artists. In the final decade of his life, he became deeply involved in mentoring and supporting a small group of hand-picked artists, exhibiting their work at his Newman Street gallery. At the same time, his own collection, to be offered this January at Dreweatts, continued to grow, shaped always by instinct rather than category.

What began as a private pursuit gradually revealed a broader purpose. Ian came to understand that collecting carries responsibility, that one becomes a custodian as much as a connoisseur, and he hoped to inspire future generations to follow their curiosity with the same independence of spirit.

From Florence to Fitzrovia: The Discerning Eye of Ian Rosenfeld

Auction dates

28 Jan 2026 10:30 GMT

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Lot 178: This is a compelling example of the devotional but time-worn: a terracotta bust of Saint Benedict from the circle of Vecchietta, modelled in the second half of the 15th century. Retaining traces of its original polychromy, the sculpture bears the quiet authority of early Renaissance Siena, its weathered surface only deepening its presence.

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Lot 89: Ubaldo Gandolfi’s Hercules and the Hydra combines black chalk, pen and brown ink with wash to convey tension and muscularity in miniature, capturing the heroism and intensity of its mythological subject with remarkable precision.

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Lot 67: a monumental depiction of Saint Sebastian receiving the crown of martyrdom from the circle of Carlo Bononi. Long a key presence at the Clock House, Ian’s home in Bloomsbury, the painting’s scale and emotional intensity anchored the collection, its theatrical light and spiritual charge emblematic of his enduring engagement with Italian Baroque art.

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Lot 238: Joseph Walsh’s Lilium I table, its ash-wood form shaped through layers of carefully worked veneer, stands as a reminder that great art transcends period and category. Set alongside Old Masters and Baroque paintings at the Clock House, it embodied Ian’s admiration for every style of art, united by craftsmanship, imagination and presence rather than by date or discipline. This work is particularly critical: as the first in Walsh’s Lilium series, it was experimental, a one-off piece and a standout within the archive. Its presence demonstrates how Ian supported the artists he believed were really trying to push the boundaries of their practice.

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Lot 54: Renzo Vespignani’s Natura Morta con Pescare, painted in 1963 at a moment when his work had turned towards a more existential vision. Though rooted in the Neo-Realist tradition forged in post-war Rome, the painting carries a quiet intensity and moral weight, reflecting an artist shaped by conflict, civic engagement and a lifelong commitment to portraying the realities beneath the surface of modern life.

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Lot 135: Domenico Gnoli’s Man Reading Newspaper (1963) combines acrylic and sand to give everyday observation a tactile immediacy. That this work was part of Ian’s collection reflects how his time in Italy profoundly shaped his taste.

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Lot 165: Toti Scialoja’s Untitled (1959), executed in oil and sand, demonstrates his innovative imprint technique and a fearless engagement with texture and surface, reflecting Ian’s enduring appreciation for Italian artists who challenged conventional notions of colour, form, and technique.

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Lot 10: Bram Bogart’s Nylon Baroque (1959) pushes the limits of paint, building thick, layered surfaces that transform canvas into a dynamic, almost sculptural field. The work’s emphasis on texture reflects Ian’s fascination with the materiality of art, revealing a collector attuned not just to form and colour, but to the physical presence and energy of a work.

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Lot 164: Ndidi Emefiele’s Sunny Blow (2025) combines acrylic, collage, compact discs and watercolour to create a multifaceted surface. A key artist of gallery rosenfeld, the gallery Ian founded in 2011, she exemplifies the kind of contemporary talent he championed, reflecting his commitment to supporting artists with a distinctive vision and unique approach to material and form.

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